A Young Islander Gears Up for the Rangers

Ryan Strome, center, has two goals and two assists in three games since an eight-game stint in the American Hockey League.CreditBruce Bennett/Getty Images

By Allan Kreda

Dec. 1, 2015

SYOSSET, N.Y. — The Islanders have found lineup stability leading into Wednesday’s first game against the first-place but struggling Rangers at Barclays Center.

With the return of Ryan Strome and the top line again anchored by John Tavares and Kyle Okposo, the Islanders can focus on their rival with momentum on their side.

Strome, 22, has two goals and two assists in three games since his eight-game stint with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, and the Islanders (13-8-4) have won three of their last four games. The loss came in a shootout on the road against the Panthers on Friday.

Strome, who had 17 goals and 50 points in his first full N.H.L. season last year, expressed confidence that his brief exile to the American Hockey League would pay dividends.

“For me, it’s all about trying to work hard and be better,” said Strome, the fifth pick in the 2011 draft. “I have to remember every day is a privilege and use that to my advantage.”

Coach Jack Capuano, who has nurtured many young players in his five years behind the bench after a coaching apprenticeship in Bridgeport, said he would keep pressuring Strome to play to his capabilities.

“He’s bringing energy, but there are some things he has to work on, no question,” Capuano said. “I know the offense is there. But he has lots of room for improvement, and he realizes that. It’s the play away from the puck and the battles along the edges that I’m going to continue to harp on.”

The Islanders will need contributions from all four lines against the Rangers (17-6-2), who ended a three-game losing streak on Monday against the Hurricanes.

Strome has skated on right wing with the veterans Mikhail Grabovski and Nikolai Kulemin in recent games after starting the season on Tavares’s right wing with Anders Lee on the left. Strome, who has three goals and six assists in 15 games, sounded as if the expectations of performing alongside a superstar were overwhelming.

“Johnny can be a tough guy to play with,” Strome said. “You have to learn as you go, and sometimes just take the bull by the horns. That’s why Kyle is so good with him. He’s got his own game. That’s something I’m trying to develop.”

Tavares now has Okposo on his right and Brock Nelson on the left. Frans Nielsen is centering Josh Bailey and Anders Lee, while the gritty fourth line features Casey Cizikas, Cal Clutterbuck and Matt Martin.

Strome said he liked his current line makeup and was glad to have a fresh opportunity to flourish.

“Our top two lines give us so much — with Johnny’s line scoring a lot and Franzie’s line playing strong at both ends,” he said. “Working to be part of that third line is my goal. I’m playing with great players. If we can continue to build chemistry, that will be good for us and the whole team.”

The Islanders are only 6 points behind the Rangers in the Metropolitan Division and enter the game with an 8-4-2 mark at Barclays Center.

They are preparing for the type of game they have not yet seen in Brooklyn. In addition to an expected sellout — which would be only the second in 15 games — the question is how many Rangers fans will travel to Barclays Center, only a 20-minute subway ride from Madison Square Garden.

“It’s always a high-intensity game against the Rangers,” Tavares said. “The rivalry is always a lot of fun, and I’m sure both sets of fans will break in Barclays the right way. It definitely should be fun.”

Capuano added: “Obviously, this first Ranger game at Barclays will be the best so far, and hopefully our guys can feed off that. I expect a lot of Ranger fans and a tremendous atmosphere.”

At least one Islander suspects that the first 14 games in Brooklyn were a dress rehearsal for a game that area hockey fans circled when the schedule was released.

“It’s the calm before the storm,” said Nielsen, the most senior Islander, who joined the team during the 2006-7 season. “We’re all ready for the excitement and energy of playing the Rangers in our new home.”

SLAP SHOTS

Rangers defenseman Kevin Klein will miss the next two to three weeks with an oblique strain. He joins center Derek Stepan, out four to six weeks with broken ribs, on the injured list.

A version of this article appears in print on , on Page B12 of the New York edition with the headline: Young Islander Gears Up for the Rangers. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe